JACKSONVILLE—Well, that was a wasted afternoon. I came to see a man turn into a Roman candle, and all I got was a football game.

It was an excellent one, at least for Bears fans.

They demolished the Jaguars 41-3. Chicago had to leave encouraged but frustrated.

You have to be psyched by a 4-1 team that scores two touchdowns a game—on defense. You also have to be frustrated that Jay Cutler doesn’t perform like this every week.

“It’s the offensive line giving him time,” Lovie Smith said, “and Jay’s as good as anybody out there.”

He was on his best football and sideline behavior Sunday, throwing two touchdowns and no tantrums. That was good for the Bears. They need their quarterback to be a leader, not a whiner.

It was a downer for millions of Americans. OK, maybe not millions. But I bet there are quite a few like me who now watch Bears games through NASCAR eyes.

We don’t really care who wins. We just want to see a good wreck.

Nobody trades paint like the No. 6 car. Last week it was with offensive coordinator Mike Tice, whom Cutler blew off on the sideline in Dallas.

Two weeks before, it was offensive lineman J’Marcus Webb. Cutler bumped and berated him for missing a block in Green Bay. The incidents magnified Cutler’s reputation as the Simon Cowell of the NFL. Terry Bradshaw couldn’t resist this salvo during Fox’s pregame show:

“If I were you, I would learn how to be a little bit nicer. I know you don’t care, nor do I care if I ever sit down and do an interview with you—which I have yet to do.

“Maybe there’s a reason for that. I like everybody. I’d like to like you, but right now I don't like you. Grow up, young man.”

Nobody asked Cutler what he thought of Bradshaw after the game. Odds are he would have shrugged, yawned or accused the questioner of just trying to cause trouble.

I’d say Cutler perpetually acts as if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but that presumes he woke up. The guy put the “non” in nonchalance.

His body language has sparked on the hottest NFL-related websites. Smokin’ Jay Cutler—“dedicated to the most apathetic looking athlete in the history of sports.”

It’s a series of Cutler action photos, with a cigarette artfully photoshopped between his lips or fingers. On Sunday, the only thing he smoked was the Jaguars.

“It just got out of hand,” coach Mike Mularkey said.

The Bears scored 38 points in the second half. Two touchdowns came on interception returns by Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs.

They became the first defensive duo to return interceptions for scores in two straight games. If only Jacksonville got such production out of its entire offense, owner Shad Khan might not be considering moving the team to Chernobyl.

But before things got out of hand, there was hope that Cutler would go crash. He threw an interception on Chicago’s first drive. I trained my binoculars on him, hoping for a little drama.

All Cutler did was walk slowly off the field, put on a baseball cap and sit on the bench. When an assistant coach came over, he didn’t turn around and order a hot dog.

It was like that until the Bears got rolling. They’d score, Cutler would stand on the sideline, then walk out and shake hands with offensive linemen as they came off the field.

Afterward, Cutler praised the defense and Brandon Marshall. He offered encouraging words to Blaine Gabbert, who could sure use them. He was even magnanimous when asked about the early interception.

“The guy made a good play,” Cutler said. “It’s as simple as that.”

It’s way too early to say, “You’ve come a long way, baby.” Cutler should be on his best behavior against Jacksonville. But the Bears had a huge win last Monday night in Dallas, and Cutler’s sideline sniveling left the biggest impression.

Call Sunday a baby step in the right direction. Just to confirm, I checked Cutler’s locker after the game.

There were some headphones, a pink wristband, a couple of coat hangers and some tape. There were no Marlboros, Winstons or Virginia Slims.

As disappointed as I was in the young man, I know what Bears fans were thinking as they left EverBank Field.